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“Safe travels!” We hear it all the time when someone’s wishing us farewell for a trip, and we say it to each other, too. In fact, it’s SO common that we handily dismiss it without even really thinking about what might help us actually HAVE safe travels.

Managing a trade show is not a job for the faint of heart. It is a demanding job with a lot of moving parts, which we’ll discuss below. A trade show manager might work for the sponsor or the organizer of a trade show; or they might work for a company participating in a trade show. If a business is smaller and only occasionally participates in trade shows, the trade show manager hat might be worn by the marketing manager or to someone from the sales team. No matter where the trade show manger comes from, their job is to provide an experience benefits the company and satisfies the customer.

Less Obvious Trade Show Do's and Don'ts

You probably wouldn’t talk on your phone or blow bubble gum or eat a Subway sandwich while manning the booth at your tradeshow. These are egregious errors in protocol that none of us would commit. However, have you ever skipped an opening event? Overlooked a surly-seeming booth visitor? Been too tired to give a client your full attention? These more benign breeches in etiquette might not strike us as that unbecoming, but to a prospective customer or client, our behavior matters. A LOT. If you think you’re above slipping up in the area of manners, look over the following trade show etiquette tips and judge for yourself.

Ice Breaker Questions for Trade Shows

With actual human connection going the way of the dinosaur recently, people have to work harder than ever to see (literally!) eye-to-eye. Think of your day to day life. You’re at work and you see people over the top of a computer screen or listen to them as you work on your iPad or device. You’re in a public space and people are just head down, ear buds in, face in phone. You’re in your car at a stoplight, and chances are all the people around you in their cars are on their phones; not that you’d notice, because you’re checking Instagram.

Tips for Staying Afloat at Work When Life Gets Messy

Most people think their jobs are stressful, but some may be more entitled to complain than others. As it turns out, the number 6 most stressful job in America is Event Planners. That said, we need to take a breath and unpack some ideas to implement when life gets messy.

Empower Booth Staffers and Drive Better Staff Interactions

Albert Einstein once said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” If he said that over 80 years ago, I wonder what this brilliant scientist would have to say about technology and human interaction today.

Ways to Control Freight Costs

“The only certainties in life are death and taxes.” When Benjamin Franklin famously quoted this, trade show freight costs weren’t an issue or he surely would’ve included them.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that freight costs are rising. If you haven’t, you soon will. And not just by a small increment, either. Freight costs have been significantly rising in recent years, and the trend looks to continue. As of early 2019, the freight market was seeing record high prices and there seems to be no immediate relief in sight.

Don't Be That Guy At The Show!

Nobody wants to be “that guy.” You know, that guy that talks too loud. That guy that tells dumb jokes. That guy who wears too much Axe body spray. “That guy” is doing all the wrong things, and people are noticing.

Exploring the past, present, and future trends of trade show exhibit design....

Ask seasoned trade show professionals… some may say that exhibit design is not new, it is simply a new application based on historical designs. In the ever-changing industry of trade shows and events, one thing is consistently desired: intriguing design. We wanted to explore the history of design and felt there was no better place to start than with 30-year veteran, Greg Mathieson, a Senior Exhibit Designer at Skyline Exhibits and Scooter Hendon, Skyline Sector 5 Exhibit Designer with multiple industry awards under his belt.

Tips to Ensure Better Traffic at Your Exhibit Space

Try to avoid the far left side of the trade show hall when choosing your exhibit space, and it will likely serve you well. Did you ever hear about the kids who attended Catholic School getting their hands cracked with a ruler for attempting to write with their left hand? We all have probably heard of this practice from family, friends or acquaintances. There is something we can learn from this, and could apply it to trade shows… go figure.

All Staffers at Trade Shows Need a Role...

A common myth prevalent in marketing circles at most any company is that the best exhibit staffer is going to be the outgoing sales person who is fun and never has a lack of comments. While reps can be great staffers, there are other personality types and expertise characteristics that can be just as important to round out your perfect team. Below are some key roles exhibit staffer candidates can use to fill those roles at your next Trade Show.

5 Ideas for Client Engagement

No one wants to be replaced, as a company or a person, and having remarkable client engagement that eclipses that of your competitors makes you hard to replace. Once we differentiate ourselves we become difficult to switch out with other companies that do the same thing that we do. The best part about delivering this intangible value to clients is that it is fairly low cost or no cost, but essential to success.

Telling Your Company Story

Story telling has been a popular topic in exhibiting over the last several years. I’ve used the term myself when talking with clients. And I do agree that when we are designing a space we have a story to communicate. But I also caution our clients that you need to be savvy as to what story you are telling. You have to sort out what story you want to tell about your company.

As your company's Marketing Warrior, you know the value of trade shows in generating leads and cultivating existing client relationships. However, with a tight marketing budget you need some ammunition to convince the powers that be that the spend on trade shows is well worth the expense. Here are some talking points from one of Skyline's trade show experts, Steve Hoffman, to help you when your boss asks, "Why are we spending so much on trade shows?"